Pamela Pamela: Her long and slimy trail

British journalist Leo McKinstry wrote:

"....Dressed up as criticism of the state of Israel, anti-Semitism is becoming not just tolerated but even fashionable in some of our civic institutions, including the universities and parts of the media.

Thanks to the Left’s neurotic hatred of Israel, we now have the extraordinary sight of self-styled liberal campaigners launching McCarthyite witch-hunts against anyone deemed to have Israeli connections, as in this week’s debate at the University and College Union’s annual conference at Bourne­mouth calling for a boycott of all Israeli academic institutions. 

 Respect for democracy, individual rights and freedom of speech are being crushed beneath the juggernaut of shrill indignation. 

What is particularly disturbing is the way opposition to the Jewish state descends into vicious antagonism against Jews themselves, as shown by this sickening recent outburst from writer Pamela Hardyment, a member of the National Union of Journalists, which in April voted to boycott Israeli goods.

Explaining her support for the NUJ’s stance, Ms Hardyment described Israel as “a wonderful Nazi-like killing machine backed by the world’s richest Jews”. 

Then, like some lunatic from the far-Right, she referred to the “so-called Holocaust” before concluding: “Shame on all Jews, may your lives be cursed.” ....

Such words could have come straight from Hitler or the most fervent supporter of Osama Bin Laden.But Ms Hardyment is hardly unique. 

This sort of seething resentment can be found throughout the Left, whether in demands that Israel be treated as a pariah state or in connivance at anti-Semitic propaganda...." 

A week later, Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard observed:

"....Some of those supporting a boycott are clearly the ‘useful idiots’ of the antisemites; they are not themselves antisemitic but are too blinded with hatred for to realise the real nature of their allies. But it is - and I'll put it no stronger than this - quite remarkable how many of those who call for a boycott, on whatever grounds, turn out to be plain old antisemites.

On Saturday, JCI received an email from one Pamela Hardyment, reacting to this stance on

Darfur . And it is, as I say, instructive. Her email gives the game away, exposing how much of the support for a boycott is suffused with antisemitism, pure and simple:

From: Pamela Hardyment

Sent: 26 May 2007 13:53

Subject:

Darfur

Ohmigod

You are worried about Dafur!!!!!!!!!!! Yet you have in a wonderful Nazi like killing machine (thousands of palestinians have died or are incarcerated in camps, including Gaza and the West Bank) backed by the world's richest jews and , you are joking about

Darfur aren't you?

Whatever you say, and I don't want to hear what you have to say because it will be the same old rhetoric, we in the UK have had enough of Israel, we (the NUJ of which I am a member) have finally voted to boycott Israeli goods (I have been doing this since 1957 so it just legitimises it and spreads the word, all items with 7.29 in the bar code, Jaffa Carmel, etc) - universities will bring in an academic boycott and architects are now joining in too. It won't stop there, we will do all in our power to make sure that you do not take any more land (you have already taken mine and refuse to pay for it). We can no longer send money to the PLO or Hamas, but we are sending people, we are not afraid of your wall, your evil soldiers (and you worry about one missing soldier, ha!) and will continue. We used to be mild, respected you because of the so called holocaust (a nice round number 6 million, what about the homosexuals, gypsies, deformed, dissenters, they NEVER get a mention and my family were among them)

So yes, we are very angry, we are working against Israel whereas before we supported you, and we will do all in our collective power to make life as uncomfortable for you as you make it for the Palestinians, shame on you, shame on all jews, may your lives be cursed

Yours with no shame whatsoever and no fear

pam hardyment

Ms Hardyment’s sentiments are representative of the underlying views of many boycott supporters. The references to the “Nazi like killing machinea¦ backed by the world's richest jews and America”, the “so called holocaust (a nice round number 6 milliona¦)” and “shame on all jews, may your lives be cursed”, may be more obvious than some of the more sly proponents of a boycott, who are careful to couch their arguments in apparently reasonable language; but antisemitism is antisemitism, whatever the tone in which it is expressed.' http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/the-real-antisemitism-underlying-boycotters

That was nine years ago, in May 2007.  As we know, the antisemitism that lurks within sections of the Labour Party persists and, emboldened and encouraged by Jeremy Corbyn's seemingly ambivalent attitude, now not infrequently shows its repellent face.

The last time I blogged about Ms Hardyment (described here as arts editor for the Palestine Telegraph) was two years ago almost to the day, when I reproduced some of her appallingly vile messages on Facebook, and asked whether Stephen Sizer should in all decency de-friend her. (Guess what? Despite her heavy duty antisemitism he hasn't.)

As many readers will be aware, late last year she made this shameful if not uncharacteristic outburst:

As we read here,  that outburst earned her the attention of PC Plod.

Another tasteless display from her:

These days on Facebook Pamela Hardyment goes by the name Pamela, or rather Pam, Arnold.  But her change of name has not heralded a change of heart.

Let's look at some of the nasties including eye-popping antisemitic obscenities she's posted so far this year:

Yes, like a slug, Pamela leaves a long and slimy trail.